Explosive-engine.



W. ROWBOTHAM.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1909.

Patented J an. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4 \w Will/I72 INVENTUH WALTER fiuwau rmx.

WITNESSES W. ROWBOTHAM.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1909.

Patented J an. 9, 1912.

2 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

Iii 113.7

MLTEHHBWEDTHAM. a 46 INVENT an KN ITNESSES warren nowiaornam, or MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

EXIBLOSIVE-ENG-INE.

- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 1, 1909. Serial No. 480,780.

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that LWALTER RowBo'rHAM,

of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented'certain new and useful Improve- .through the lugs screwed to the ments in Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptlon.

My invention relates to improvements in explosive turbines and the object is to provide a device in which the maximum force of the explosion is directed against 'the blades of the turbine but in which' the flame of combustion does not come in contact with said blades.

A further object is to provide a turbine in which the rotor will receive a plurality of impulses during each revolution.

To accomplish these objects, I provide a plurality of cylinders suitably connected to the casing of a turbine. Thecylind'ers are provided at the bottom with inlet valves coupled together in pairs. Suitably arranged delivery pipes lead from the cylin.--

ders and discharge into-the turbine in pairs through specially designed nozzles. A fan is provided to insure rapid exhaustion of spent gases. Adjustable igniting means complete the device. p p

In the drawings which illustrate my invention:Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on theline 910 of Fig. 1 and also shows one of the cylinders partly in section. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and shows an alternative valve arrangement. Fig.5 is a sectional view of one of the nozzles. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the nozzles on the line -l1-12 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view on the hue 13-14 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the valve cages.

In the above defined figures, 15 designates a base on which is mounted a lurality of cylinders 16, 17, 18 and 19, pre erably four innumber.- The cylinders are provided with suitable jackets 20, 21, 22 and 23, andcovers 24, 25, 26, and 27, respectively. A turbine casing 28 is located on the base between the cyllnders as shown in Fig. 1. The' casing 28 is formed in two halves which are secured together by means of bolts passing 29. Passin throu h and ass below eac cylin er is a valve cage 30 having an air inlet 31 at the bottom thereof anda conical valve seat 32 which are pivotally mounted levers 44 whose forked extremities 45 engage the valve stems between the collars 42. These levers connect the valves in pairs as follows :35 and 36;

37 and 38, for a purpose which will be 'here-.

after explained. Pipes 46 enter the cylin- '65 nate 1n a palr of collars 42.- Brackets 43 are secured to the under sideof the base 15 in ders about the middle and extend upwardly inside the cylinders, as seen in F1g. 3, to within a short distance of the covers. The pipes 46 unit'e externally in nozzles 47 and 48, fixed to the turbine casing, the pipes 46 from cylinders 16 and 18 unitingin the nozzle 47, and the pipes from cylinders 17 and 19 in the nozzle 48. The nozzles each contain a transverse passage 49 in line with the pipes 46 and a gradually enlarging passage 50 leading therefrom at right angles and entering the casing 28 tangentially. approximately wedge shaped adjustable 1nspiration plug 51 projects into the passage 49 opposite the center of the passage 50. A disk 52 is mounted on a shaft 53 within the casing 28 and is provided with a plurality of suitable blades 54 at the periphery thereof. Fixed to. the disk 52 is a fan 55 adapted to discharge centrally into an exhaust passage 56. The casing 28 is extended to inclosethe shaft '53 and provide for large' bearings 57, such as the roller, bearings shown. 4

In the alternative form shown in Fig. 4, the valve mechanisms of the cylinder groups 16, 17 and 18, 19 are inclosed in housings 58 which are fixed to the base 15 and connected to the air main 59by pipes 60. The casing 28 is divided by a vertical diaphragm 61 so as to cutoff a fan chamber 62 in which the fan 63 is located. Thisfan draws air'throug'h the apertures 64 in the casing extension around the shafts and discharges-i,v it throughthe passage 65 into the air main 59} A I Theignition maybe electr1c or hot tube.

In the drawings I have shown special .plugs I of the jump spark type: In these plugs an I insulation 66 is screwed into the cylinder head and is provided'with'a vertically adjustable rod 67 carrying the bent sparking point 68 and a-receiving rod 69 in contact:

5 with the cylinder cover. It is obvious that by raising or lowering the point 68, they height of the spark in the cylinder may be regulated. 1

The operation of the device is as fol.-

1o lows :Gasolene or other hydrocarbon fuel is supplied to the device through the main 39 from which it is distributed to the valves through the pipes 40. Supposing an explo-. ssion to have taken place in cylinder 16..

The force of the explosion closes the valve 35 which, through the medium of the lever 44, opens the valve 36. The valve 37 in cylinder 18 has been previously opened in the same manner. The force of the explosion 20 in cylinder 16 rises and doubles back on itself. in traveling down the pipe 46, thus preventing the flame of combustion from escaping from the cylinder into the turbine casing and burning the blades. The force I of the explosionfis directed into the passage 5 0 of the nozzle 47 by the curved face of the inspiration plug 51. The passage of gasesinto the passage 50 creates a' suction in the other pipe 46 connected to the nozzle 47, which suctiondraws air into the cylinder 18 through the valve37. The passage of the air through the valve vaporizes the fuel ris ing through the ducts 34 and carries the same into the cylinder to constitute the ex- 35 plosive charge. 'Simultaneously the same operation is going on in the cylinder 17. The incoming charges rise until they reach the level of the spark when theyfexplode, closing'the valves 36 and 37 and opening the valves 35 and 38 in the cylinders 16 and 19,. and allowing fresh char es to be drawn into.

these cylinders by the suction of the'gases rushing through the nozzles 47 and 48. It will be obvious that b altering the time of the sparking, the cyllnders may be made to explode in rotation. The fan 55 draws the spent charges fromthe blades of the turbineand discharges them centrallythrough the exhaust passage 56.

In the alternative form shown in Fig.4, the fan 63 draws air. in through the ducts I I 64 and .forces it, under pressure, through the passage 65, main 59 and pipes 60, into the housing 58 from which it enters the cylinders under its own ressure. It will be obvious om the foregoing. de-

' scription that the flame of the exploding charges will not reachthe blades of the turblne and burn the same. This will result in comparatively low temperaturesin the turbine which has heretofore been diflicult to obtain. It will also be seen that, withthe arrangement-above described, the turbine will receive two impulses during 65 each revolution.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An explosive engine comprising a turbine, a plurality of explosion chambers, connections between the explosion chambers and the turbine, and means for accelerating the exhaustion of spent gases from the turbine.

2. An explosive engine comprising a turbine having peripheral blades, a casing therefor, a plurality of detached explosion chambers operating in pairs, means connecting said explosion chambers and tur-,

bine casing, and means in the turbine casing for accelerating the exhaustion of spent gases. Y

3. An explosive engine comprising a turbine having peripheral blades, a casing therefor, a plurality of detached explosion chambers operating in pairs, pipes connecting said explosion chambers and turbine casing, nozzles adapted to direct the motive fluid against the turbine blades, valves for said explosion chambers, and a fan driven by the turbine for "accelerating the exhaustion of spent gases.

4. An explosive e'nglne' comprising a turbine having peripheral blades, a' casing therefor,'a plurality of detached explosion chambers, automatic valves controlllng the admission of gas and air to said chambers, pipesbetween said chambers and the turbine casing, means for preventing the flame of combustion from entering said p1 es,

accelerating the exhaustion of spent gases.

6. An explosive "engine comprising a turbine having peripheral blades, a casing therefor, a plurality of detached explosion chambers, valves in the bottoms of said chambers, levers connecting said valves across the axis of the turbine, nozzles fixed to the turbine casing, pipes connecting the explosion chambers to sa1d nozzles in pa rs parallel with the axis of the turbine, exit passages opening near the'tops of said explosion chambers and extending downwardly to approximately the centers thereof, adjustable igniting means in said explosion chambers, and a fan for accelerating the exhaustion of spent gases. I

7. An explosive engine comprising a tur bine having peripheral blades, a casing therefor, a plurality of detached explosion chambers, valves in the bottomsof said explosion chambers, air and fuel inlets to said valves, fuel spraying ducts opening in the seats of said valves, levers connecting said valves across the axis of the turbine, exit passages opening near the top of said explosion chambers and extending downwardly to approximately the centersthere: of, nozzles fixed to the turbine casing, pipes 1 connecting said exit passages to said, noz- "zles in pairs parallel with the-axis of the turbine, a plug in each of said nozzles for directing the motive fluid against the turbine blades, and an adjustable igniter in each of said explosion chambers.

8. An explosive engine comprising a turbine, a plurality of explosive chambers opcrating in pairs, valves for said chambers,

levers connecting said valves in pairs across the axis of the turbine, pipes connecting said chambers in pairs parallel with the axis of the turbine, nozzles in said pipes for directing the motive fluid against said turbine, and adjustable igniters in said explosion chambers.

9. An explosive engine comprising a turbine, a plurality of explosion chambers, combined fuel and air valves in said chambers, levers connecting said valves in pairs across the axis of the turbine, pipes connecting said chambers in pairs parallel with v In witness whereof I have hereunto set' my hand in the presence of two Witnesses. WALTER ROWVBOTHAM.

Witnesses:

STUART R. W. ALLEN, I E. R. McK Nzm. 

